Preparing for my day as professional mental health counselor takes time. When I am leaving work at the end of a busy day, I always take the time to look at my schedule for the next day. The first thing I do to prepare for my job the next day is to look at my schedule to see with whom I will be meeting with, and the time schedule for my first and last appointment. I familiarize myself with the clients I will be working with, and pull each clients file to refresh myself on our last session. This is necessary for me to prepare for the appointment. It is important for me to be prepared and show my client that I am in tune to what is going on with them. I used to do all this first thing in the morning but I have found that it works better for me if I do it at the end of my day. My being prepared helps me to give the client my full attention and helps the client to gain confidence in my abilities. It helps personalize the session between me, as the counselor, and them as the client. Upon walking into my office each day, I arrive an hour before my first appointment is scheduled to arrive. This helps give me a chance to relax, and prepare myself for the session. It is also important for me that I meet with each client on time and end the session on time. This is how I show respect to those I am working with. Another rule of thumb is to always keep thirty minutes open between appointments. I work and eight hour day with an hour lunch, so normally I schedule four to five clients a day. My first scheduled appointment always begins at nine a.m. and my last one is scheduled for three p.m. This allows me to go to work at eight a.m. and be free from four to five p.m. before leaving, so that I can prepare for the next day. Each session is approximately one hour long in duration.

When someone asks me how being a mental health counselor is different from a social worker or psychologist my response would be that I feel that my career focuses more on individuals and mental health issues. I would define a social worker as someone whose primary focus is helping families, communities, or individuals, improve on areas of social functioning. I would define a psychologist as an individual who studies the mind and the brain. The two of these are different than my profession as a mental health counselor in that my job requires me to examine everything that causes mental conditions. The client is assessed, evaluated, and the goal is to be treated and the treatment is more focused on an individual. Assessments can be used to help with the client case conceptualization as a means of gathering broad and general information regarding a particular client. Upon my first session with a potential client I want to have a general idea of what the client feels the issues are, and the client’s family structure. I also seek to see if they have a support network of people in their life. Finally, I use this assessment to inform me of the clients history, what the clients feels their issues are, and any prescriptions they are currently taking, or have taken in their past. This helps me to determine what the client’s needs may be, and if they have sought help from another source.

The theories that inform my practice are the Holistic approach and also the cognitive behavioral theory. I believe that a person has to have sound body, mind, and spirit in order to feel wholesome and complete. If a person is lacking belief in themselves, then my job is to find out what issues are causing this person to feel this way. Asking my client what they feel they need to work on usually helps immensely to assess my client. It also makes a difference as to whether the client is their voluntarily, or if they have been court ordered. I discuss, with all my clients, that anyone of us could use counseling, including myself. I normally can...

YOU MAY ALSO FIND THESE DOCUMENTS HELPFUL

...
“The Role and Life of a Mental Health Counselor”
“My Friend My Counselor”
Mrs. M. Bolden, BA, MSW, LMSW, CACII
Author
P. Crosby, Charleston South Carolina
Component I: Narrative Summation of Interview
(Charleston, SC) This interview is taking place on Friday, October 11th, 2013 at City Lights Coffee, our favorite coffee shop on Market Street in Downtown Charleston, directly off of King Street. Today I am interviewing Mrs. M. Bolden who has a Masters degree in Social work along with other degrees and certificates, from Winthrop College and the University of South Carolina. She is the program director for Pinelands Psychosocial Residential Treatment Facility in Summerville, South Carolina. In conjunction with being the program director at Pinelands PRTF, she is an emergency intervention specialist with adolescents’ for Charleston County school system. She is one of only 25 substance abuse professionals in the state of South Carolina and she was the program initiator and director for South Carolina SAP which stands for Substance Abuse Program. I am excited to interview her as I have stated she is my mentor and friend and very seldom does one have the pleasure to work with and for someone they respect and admire so highly.
“Mrs. M.”, as I call her; “how is being a mental health counselor different than being a social worker or psychologist?”...

...
“The Role and Life of a Mental Health Counselor”
“My Friend My Counselor”
Component I: Narrative Summation of Interview
(Charleston, SC) This interview is taking place on Friday, October 11th, 2013 at City Lights Coffee, our favorite coffee shop on Market Street in Downtown Charleston, directly off of King Street. Today I am interviewing Mrs. Mary Bolden who has a Masters degree in Social work along with other degrees and certificates, from Winthrop College and the University of South Carolina. She is the program director for Pinelands Psychosocial Residential Treatment Facility in Summerville, South Carolina. In conjunction with being the program director at Pinelands PRTF, she is an emergency intervention specialist with adolescents’ for Charleston County school system. She is one of only 25 substance abuse professionals in the state of South Carolina and she was the program initiator and director for South Carolina SAP which stands for Substance Abuse Program. I am excited to interview her as I have stated she is my mentor and friend and very seldom does one have the pleasure to work with and for someone they respect and admire so highly.
“Mrs. Mary”, as I call her; “how is being a mental health counselor different than being a social worker or psychologist?” “Well”, she says; “it is different in that a social worker focuses on the use of a...

...Mental Health Worker
The field of mental health counseling is evolving, growing, and changing. The pioneers of this change brought very important enhancements to the field of mental health counseling. Counselors are professionals who assist individuals and groups with their personal problems in order to help them become more self-sufficient. Individuals that specialize in mental health counseling concentrate on promoting optimum mental health through various programs and services. In this paper I will explain the history, changes, health and human services program development and changes in legislation as it applies to mental health programs and treatments. I will also discuss the training, licensing, certificate, and education of being a mental health counselor (Burger, 2011).
Introduction
In America there are a boundless array of cultures, races, and ethnicities. With this diversity comes incalculable energy and optimism. Diversity has enriched America by bringing global ideas, perspectives, and productive contributions to all areas of contemporary life. The enduring contributions of minorities, like those of all Americans, rest on a foundation of mental health. Mental health and mental illness require the broad focus of a public health approach. Mental disorders are...

...﻿Final Project: The Role and Life of a Mental Health Counselor
For the Final Project, you will apply the information learned in this course, as well as in an interview you conduct, to your understanding of what it means to be a mental health counselor.
Interview (in person) a mental health counselor who works with a population in a setting that interests you. For example, if you are interested in working as an in-home therapist with children in need of supervision, interview someone who does this work.
The Final Project consists of the following components:
1. A summation* of an interview with the professional mental health counselor, using the following questions and questions of your own that are prompted by the conversation:
When someone asks you how being a mental health counselor is different from being a social worker or psychologist, what do you tell them?
Can you describe what a normal day looks like for you as you do your job?
What court cases, public policies, and/or state laws direct what you do as a counselor? What regulations govern your activities and practice, particularly those that pertain to insurance and Medicaid?
What theory(ies) inform your practice and why?
How does understanding and respecting multiculturalism help you as a counselor?...

...﻿
The Professional Identity of a Mental Health Counselor
Trineequa Gilbert
Capella University
Introduction
The professional identity of a mental health counselor is extremely important. When it comes to finding your professional identity, it is important to weigh out all options to make sure that the profession that is chosen, is what one would see themselves doing for a long time. It is more so of asking oneself if they feel they qualify for the career that they are about to take on. This paper will explain how to become an effective professional counselor, the roles and characteristics of the counseling professional, the different counseling associations, what is required to attain a state license and certification, how to assess your own professional development, and the rise of technology and how it may affect your clinical practice.
Key Philosophies of the Counseling Professional
The key philosophies of the counseling profession are wellness, resilience, and prevention. Wellness can be defined as a dynamic state of physical, mental, and social well-being; Resilience is the process and outcome of successfully adapting to difficult or challenging life experiences, especially through mental, emotional, and behavioral flexibility and adjustment to external and internal demands; Prevention is...

...Aboriginal Research
Resilience, an Evolving Concept: A Review of Literature Relevant to Aboriginal Research
Abstract
In this paper, I will discuss the history of counseling; specifically how school counseling and mental health counseling came to be. I will also examine the key philosophies of the counseling profession including, wellness, resilience, and prevention. Finally, I will analyze the case of Ashley, a young girl experiencing depression due tolife changes and discuss how a school counselor and a mental health counselor can assist her through these barriers.
According to S. T. Gladding (2004), the profession of counseling is fairly new. Counseling began in the late 1890’s and early 1900’s. In the late 1890’s counseling was simply known as giving advice or information. In the United States, counseling began due to the concern and well being of those affected by the Industrial Revolution (S. T. Gladding, 2004, p. 8). Ginter (2002) stated, “Counseling emerged during a socially turbulent period that straddled the ending of one century and the beginning of another, a period marked by great change that caused a major shift in the way individuals viewed themselves and others” (p. 220).
Prior to the professional title, “counselor,” people in the counseling profession recognized themselves as teachers and advocates. Advocates worked on teaching...

...Mental health counselors work with individuals, families, and groups to address and treat mental and emotional disorders and to promote mental health. They are trained to address a wide range of issues, including depression, addiction and substance abuse, suicidal impulses, stress management, problems with self-esteem, issues associated with aging, job and career concerns, educational decisions, issues related to mental and emotional health, and family, parenting, and marital or other relationship problems. Mental health counselors often work closely with other mental health specialists, such as psychiatrists, psychologists, clinical social workers, psychiatric nurses, and school counselors. (US Department of Labor)
To be a licensed mental health counselor a person must have a Masters Degree in counseling or other related field. The program must consist of 60 semester hours and 1000 hours of university sponsored clinical or internship experience. The degree program should be certified by CACREP. A CACREP certified program insures that the program meets examination requirements for licensure. Once completed, one must have two years of supervision and pass national or state examinations to obtain licensure.
Licensed mental health counselors have many ethical and legal issues dealing with...

...chose to become a mental health counselor
Counseling others is a difficult job that requires people to listen, take notes, and respond in ways that are positive and helpful. It is important that trust be built between the counselor and the patient so that the patient will feel comfortable speaking about issues that are private or embarrassing. There are many different types of counselors including drug counselors; marriage counselors, grief counselors, job counselors, diet and exercise counselors, and others that can help people improve their lives in different ways. Counselors are trained to offer advice and listen to issues that may be bothering other people. They are not allowed to prescribe medication or expected to provide medical advice.
Approximately 25 percent of North Americans suffer from diagnosable mental health issues each year. With the increasing awareness of the related social, political and economic impacts of these problems, there is a greater need for professional mental health counselors. Additionally, health care insurance providers, driving the demand for more qualified professionals, recognize most mental health counseling. After earning a master's degree in mental health counseling, most people choose to get licensed or certified in a...

Study Tools

Company

Follow

{"hostname":"studymode.com","essaysImgCdnUrl":"\/\/images-study.netdna-ssl.com\/pi\/","useDefaultThumbs":true,"defaultThumbImgs":["\/\/stm-study.netdna-ssl.com\/stm\/images\/placeholders\/default_paper_1.png","\/\/stm-study.netdna-ssl.com\/stm\/images\/placeholders\/default_paper_2.png","\/\/stm-study.netdna-ssl.com\/stm\/images\/placeholders\/default_paper_3.png","\/\/stm-study.netdna-ssl.com\/stm\/images\/placeholders\/default_paper_4.png","\/\/stm-study.netdna-ssl.com\/stm\/images\/placeholders\/default_paper_5.png"],"thumb_default_size":"160x220","thumb_ac_size":"80x110","isPayOrJoin":false,"essayUpload":false,"site_id":1,"autoComplete":false,"isPremiumCountry":false,"userCountryCode":"US","logPixelPath":"\/\/www.smhpix.com\/pixel.gif","tracking_url":"\/\/www.smhpix.com\/pixel.gif","cookies":{"unlimitedBanner":"off"},"essay":{"essayId":37281067,"categoryName":"Fiction","categoryParentId":"17","currentPage":1,"format":"text","pageMeta":{"text":{"startPage":1,"endPage":5,"pageRange":"1-5","totalPages":5}},"access":"premium","title":"A Day in the Life of a Mental Heath Counselor","additionalIds":[3,9,103,7],"additional":["Business \u0026 Economy","Entertainment","Entertainment\/Film","Education"],"loadedPages":{"html":[],"text":[1,2,3,4,5]}},"user":null,"canonicalUrl":"http:\/\/www.studymode.com\/essays\/a-Day-In-The-Life-Of-1501244.html","pagesPerLoad":50,"userType":"member_guest","ct":10,"ndocs":"1,500,000","pdocs":"6,000","cc":"10_PERCENT_1MO_AND_6MO","signUpUrl":"https:\/\/www.studymode.com\/signup\/","joinUrl":"https:\/\/www.studymode.com\/join","payPlanUrl":"\/checkout\/pay","upgradeUrl":"\/checkout\/upgrade","freeTrialUrl":"https:\/\/www.studymode.com\/signup\/?redirectUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.studymode.com%2Fcheckout%2Fpay%2Ffree-trial\u0026bypassPaymentPage=1","showModal":"get-access","showModalUrl":"https:\/\/www.studymode.com\/signup\/?redirectUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.studymode.com%2Fjoin","joinFreeUrl":"\/essays\/?newuser=1","siteId":1}